Blurring the Lines with Jack Hailey at Chili's

This week I spoke with Jack Hailey , Social Media Manager at Chili's . Jack joined the company in 2015 as a bartender in Dallas, Texas. He's now been with the company for almost a decade after joining the social media team in 2022 after graduating from Texas Tech University . Chili's currently has more than 4.5 million followers across Facebook , Instagram , TikTok and X .

Tell me about your career journey up until this point. How did you get where you are today??

I’ve been working for Chili's since I was 16 years old, so I’ve been with the brand for almost 10 years now. I started as a host at my local Chili’s restaurant in Dallas, working there through high school, and then becoming a bartender and began working manager shifts.?

In college I majored in supply chain management but realized it wasn’t for me after an internship, so when I came home I applied for a corporate role at Chili’s in the human resources department. After about six months, my current boss let me know about a community management role that was opening up on the social media team. I interviewed and completed a project, and got the job.?

After working in community management for a little while I started taking over content creation, and today I oversee community engagement, organic content, campaign-related content and influencer partnerships. And I can’t see myself doing anything else for any other brand just because I have such a long history with the brand. It’s been a dream come true.?

Everyday there is a new trend on social media. How do you decide what trend makes sense for your brand, and which to skip?

I love this question because we are so trends-focused at Chili’s. That was a big push from George Felix ( Chili's CMO) for us when he became our Chief Marketing Officer. He really wanted our brand to be part of today’s cultural conversation, and that comes with jumping into these trending moments.?

When we’re deciding if a trend is right for our brand, we first ask if this could get the brand in trouble, or if it’s too negative or serious. Second, we look to see if other brands have done it. If other brands have already jumped onto the trend, usually you’re already too late. We always want to be one of the first. Third, lastly, we always make sure we’re able to bridge the content back to the brand so it’s still serving a purpose for us, versus simply jumping on the trend just to do it.

What are your thoughts on content calendars? How pre-planned is the content you publish on Instagram, TikTok or X??

From an organic perspective we try to plan a month, or month and a half, ahead. Social moves so fast from a trend perspective that you don’t want to be too far ahead, but you want the headspace to be able to jump into trending moments. For campaigns, it depends on how fast you’re able to develop creative. A month ahead is usually the sweet spot.?

What metric do you pay most attention to when looking at how content is performing??

We pay most attention to engagement across channels. Because of how social media algorithms work, you can only control your reach by so much. If you have a really high engagement rate on a piece of content you're going to get a better reach, so that's just our baseline of how we're measuring our content.

How do you feel about brands using generative AI for their social media creative? Does AI play a role in your day-to-day life in brand engagement and social strategy?

AI is great. As long as you're just using it responsibly, and you’re not stealing anybody's imagery, and you're all good from a legal perspective. But it does not play a role in my current day to day. The only way it would be is from a creative standpoint. It's great creatively if it optimizes your workflow and you're able to make stunning assets that would otherwise take you hours and hours on Photoshop to do.?

What’s exciting you about social media marketing in 2024?

Influencer marketing. Years ago social media wasn’t taken as seriously as it is today, which luckily I’ve never experienced at Chili’s. Today, creators and influencers are elevating the whole social media landscape, and they’re getting more and more people to pay attention, especially people that haven’t had social media on their radar. Brands have started to pay close attention and spend millions of dollars on influencer marketing as part of their playbook. I think the budgets and increased attention on the influencer landscape gives social media managers a bigger spotlight internally and more touch points with leadership.

Where do you find inspiration for content creation??

It depends on the platform. For X, I go on my personal ‘For you’ tab and scroll, because it’s such a funny platform. For Instagram, I love seeing what other brands are up to, especially Dunkin' and 麦当劳 . They’ve really mastered the balance between perfect designs while still creating content that is social-forward. For TikTok I follow creators and influencers. Their content is so versatile, especially in how they are promoting products.?

What advice would you give to someone about to graduate college that wants to work in social media marketing, or what tips would you give someone who wants to pivot into this space?

I was really fortunate to be at a bigger company that helps its employees move between departments if there’s interest. If you’re at a big brand and want to move into a social media role, I recommend taking the head of that department or team to coffee or lunch. Get on their radar. Let them know you’re interested. It’s all about networking. There might not be an opportunity at that exact moment, but you’ll be top of mind when a role opens up. If you’re at a smaller company, build a mini portfolio for yourself. Start writing funny stuff on X, create TikTok videos, design content on Canva or Photoshop. Those actions will help you build transferable skills, and you’ll be lightyears ahead of where I was when I started working in social.?

Rapid Fire Questions:?

What’s your favorite song right now? B2b by Charli XCX

What’s the last podcast you listened to? Out & About with Barstool Sports ' Pat McAuliffe and Joey Camasta

Who’s one person in this industry that inspires you, that everyone should go follow? Luz Infante Bickert , Director of Digital Advertising at Chili's

What brand do you love following on social media? Dunkin'

What industry jargon do you hate? "Per my last note," because that means I missed something

What is one word you would use to describe 2024? Crazy